Switch for gravity-conveyers.



M. C. SGHWAB.

SWITCH FOR GRAVITY GONVEYERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24, 1908.

1,047,309. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 I 1251 l as am, 4 A? 224/; m 71%.

M. c; SGHWAB. SWITCH IOR GRAVITY GONVBYERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG; 24, 1908.

1,047,309. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COHIAIlY, A CORPORATION OF NEW. YORK. w

' swrrcnron onnvrrr oonvnvnns.

- To all wl'zoin it may concern:

of my improved interlocking device.

"Be it known that I, MARTIN C. SCHWAB, a citizenof the Uni-ted States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented. a new and useful Improvementin Switches for. Gravity- Conveyers, of which the following is a' specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 'avity' conveyer's, and has for one of its objects the provision of means for dischargarticles at any desired floor.

' urther objects will appear hereinafter,

the novel' combinations; of elements being" pbintedout in the claims. In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 illustrates in' side elevation a well known type'of spiral gravity conveyer having my invention applied ,thereto;. Fi g. 2 is a' 'de tail, view of a switching device in normal position; Fig.- 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the switching device in opera 2 on'the section line a-a and Figs. 5-, 6 and 7 illustrate in detail various positions Similar characters of reference denote similar parts in all of the figures.

' designates a Referring to Fig. 1, 10 spiral gravity conveyer which comprises an outer shell or casing 11' and an inner central core -13-between which-is located aspiral con eyi'ng surface 12. The various landings or floors which are connected by the conveyer are desi 'nated by 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60.

erably slightly above the floor level and which aiford communication between the landings and the interior. of the conveyer, and through which articles may be placed in the conveyor. These openings may be closed by suitable doors, 62. Other openings for discharging articles from the iconveyer maybe PIOYiClGClbQ- low the surface of the spiral .at various floors, or at any openings are designated onfthe drawings by 21, 33, 43, and 53. Troughs or chutes 34, 44; and 54 may be placed opposite these openings to guide the'articles which are discharged through them to the desired location. sections,

one of \vhich-f-z i'slosated adjacent to each trough Specification of'Letters Patent.

At each 0 these floors, openings 31, 41, -51 "and 61 are provided which are prefas 32, 4'2, 52 and} -."very desirable to "tween the different floors: that is, to have desired points, and such,

The spiral 12 comprises movable} or chute, as This" sec-- Patented Dec. 17, 1912 Application filed August 24, 1908; Serial No. 449,929.

tion is designated by 35, andis clearly upon a rod 36-' and may be, moved. by means of a crank arm 36. This movable section of the spiral is reduced in widtlrat its free end' 35sothat it will not bind against the central core 13 when rotated into its, lowered position. A guide 38 of suitable height may be arranged vertically. below the spiral and adjacent to the free end of the movable section 35.. The lower surface of the trough or chute 34 designated asa guide for discharging articles, as well as a. support for the movable section of the spiral 35 when the latter is in operative position. The movable sections of the spiral are normally held in the position shown in Figs. 1. and 2, so that the spiral .bla de forms a continuous unbroken conveying-surfacethroughout its entire length. To ,eachcrank arm of the several movable spiral sections is-connected a vertical rod, 'as 3'7, 47 and 57., all of which extend the full length of the conveyer and by means of which a person .on any landing or floor may operate the core-spondingpivoted spiral section so as to efiect the discharge of descending articles either at his own fioor or at any other desired floor.

It is readily seen that when all of the movable spiral sectionsare in normal raised position, descending articles will continue on down the spiral conveying surface and be discharged at the lowermostdischarge opening :21 at the floor or basement 20. \Vhen, however, a movable section, such as 35, islowered by means of its connected rod 37 into operative position as shown in Fig. ,3, any-article's which may be descending @from above will-be guidedout of the 34 and discharged conveyor by the chute @onto the floor 30. V -"In the operation of this apparatus, it is prevent interference, be-

p the apparatus so arranged that when a person on any spiral section at the particular landing or. fioor'at which he desires'to have articles de-v livered or discharged,- no one can operate any tll8' 0tl11' sections of tl e spiral until locking device which-I will now describe.

shownin Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It is pivoted I 'by 34 extends into the conveyer and acts one floor has operated a movable I ltli first person isthrough. For this reason,-, ,I have provided 'a"non .1nie' i'ferenceor1nterq 7 10 plate 71 is provided with slots, there being,

, right-hand end of each horizontal'portion 37,47 and 57.. The curved portions of the All of the vertical rods 37,- t7'and 57 pass throughaninterlockingdevice .70.I vBy reterring toFigs. 5, 6 and 7,- the-operation of this interlocking device will be clearly :seen.;.

5 It comprises a locl'iing plate 71 provided at its ends with extension pieces 72 and 73 slidable in the supporting guides-75and 7 6,. respectively, thereby permitting a horizontal movement of the locking plate. The looking as many slots as th'ere are vertical rods 37,- 47 and 57. "The slots consist of horizontal portions 77, 78 and79' and downwardly extending curved portions 83, 84; and 8 5, the

forming also. the, upper end portion, and these right-hand portions normally contain pins 80, 81' and 82' which are" secured to the corresponding vertical {rods of the curved slots vary "in length'in a vertical direction, in order to allow for the. different lengths of. the crank arms 36, ltiand 56'connectedt-o the corresponding movable spiral sections 35, i5 and 55; -The horizontal portions of the slots are equal in length and the curved portions extend the same distance to the left as the horizontal' portions so that the lower end of each curved portion: is in vertical". 3o alinement' with thefj end of the horizontal portion. On the extension piece 73 is a com' 1 'pressionspring; 74; which bears against the support 76 and. the locking platej7l. and tends to keep th'elatt'er in its lefthand posit, tion, as shown in Fig. ,5. .A. cantilever 88 is pivoted at 87 to the extension piece73and is normally in contact with the' bearing 76, or substantially so.- 86' designates a station? ary guide for the lower ends ofthe-vertical rods 37, 47 and 5.7, which allows -a free movementfofzthefsame in-avertical direction. I I i In order to illustrate the operation of the locking device, we will assume that a person on the floor tOmoves the vertical rod 47in a downward direction, the parts of the lock i'ng device being .in'the position shown in Fig. 5Q Upon such movement the pin 81' connected to the rod 47 moves downward in; the curved slot 84, and thereby effects a movementof the locl'ring' plate 71 in a right hand direction against .the action. of the compression spring 7 4, theextent ofmovement of the'rod being limited by the-length of the slot. the locki'ng plate isthusmoved toithe "rigl1t,' the pins "ajnd 8 2 correspond-2 ing 'tothe rodsf37 .andfl57-takeupa posi- 3 tion atthe left-hand end of the corresponding horizontal slots 77 and '79, in whi'cl rfposi ion theyas well as the-' 'corresponding r'ods land 'c'onnected movable spiral sections "are; securely locked against 1 l10\ l1]l1-l3 in any directi'onf- This position isshown in Fig, 6. --Incase either offtherods37for, 57. are operated-so as to cause-descendingarticles to be desired points.

and 50, the other'rods and connected parts would be securely locked againstinovement in a similar manner. When it isdesired' to .71 is therebysmoved over to th e rig-ht,-securely looking all of the rods'and connected.

spiral I sections against movement untilz're-z 75 leased returning the carnle'ver188 into its nor mal position as shown in F-igs ',,5 and 6. The locking device: '70 is 'preferably arranged, toward the lower part ofthecon veyer so as to be 'withinfjeas y reach of an '3 operator onlthe-basementifloor20;, -This device could just as well be arrangedelsewherev if so desired, in whichfcase' itwould be well to arrange the cam lever'88 so that it would be. under the control of an operator in the 35 basement, I V I sometimes provide handles 90 upon the vertical rods 37, 4L7 and '57 (which are nor-. mally in alinement with each other and Whicha-re Within convenientreach of an op erator at each floor. These handles not only facilitate the operation of the rods-and their connected parts, bu't also act as indicators to determine at any tinie'whi'ch particular l outlet is being usedfor'j discharging" articles from the conveyer; JV'lien the basement outlet al'onei's -be'in"g used and-i111 of the rods are lockedf'against movement, it is only-necessary to ascertain that factby attempting tomovel'any oneof the rods. 1 0 v Gravity conveyers of'tlie type he're'shown are in common use. They are arranged to transport articles" from any floor of a build ing to'any other flooribelowr jMaiiifestly my invention greatly increases [0 the usefulness of anyconve'yer to which 'it is applied, as by it'one is enabled to place articles in'the conveyen-and have "them delivered automatically at any one' otuseveral While I hziviillustraited and described a; construction embodying .apreferred form of .my invention, it is capable.of many'modifi- 'tions.

"'I desire-not tobe limited to thefprecise 115 "conjst-ructionand arrangement oftpa rt's here"- in disclosed, since itf'is; obvious that those skilled in the art "couldreadilygnake' various changes in details withbut' departing from .the's'piritand'scopeof my. invention. Whatl claim as n'e'w and desire to-have protected by Letters .Patent.of the' United ing surface comprising an guppeisection and. 125 a lower section spaced apart aIlQlflll interme- 'dia tejsection bridging said space andmovable downwardly articles from, the conveying surface. 65 discharged at the corresponding floors 30 -v into position to deflect with a casing havinga discharge opening therein, of .aisplral conveying su'rfacetcomprising sections extending above and below $316. openingand an intermed atehinged section, andmeans for swinging the hinged horizontal hinge .to the upper fixed section, and meansv for swinging the. hinged section downwardly below the normal line of thespiral surface.

" v 4. In a gravity conveyer, the combination with an outer casing, of-a central core, an intermediate spiral Conveying surface, com prising an upper section and a lower section spaced apart, a horizontal-hinge rod journal d in the core and casing at the lower of thenpper section, a hinged section,

connected to'said rod andnormally in posi- 25 tionto connectsaidupper and lower sec v tions, and means; for swinging said hinged section downwardly, below its normal position.; I

5. In a gravityconveyer, the combination" with a casing having a discharge; opening, of achute located at said opening, a spiral conyeying surface comprising an upper and .a-.1ower {section extending respectively above and below opening and an intermedir' ate hinged section'normally in alinement with saidupp'er and lower-sections, means for swinging the hinged section below its.

normal position, and a partition extending downwardly' from the upper end of the lower section and forming with the hinged said conveying surface into the chute.

6. .In' a gravity conveyer, the combination .with a casing, of a spiral conveying surface comprising, a plurality of sections and interfmediate hinged sections normally in alinement withthe stationary sections, separate means .for swinging the hinged sections the operation of more than one section at a time.

- 7 In a conveyer, the combination with a slide' -j. way,.of a section normally completing the continuity of said slide-Way, and a guide depending from saidyslide-way and co-acting'wi'thsaid deflecting device to direct'descending articles from said slide-Way. g

8. In a gravity conveyer, the combination with an outer shell, an inner core, and an interposed spiral blad'e of a section normally forming a part of said blade but capable of beingtilted to form a break in th'e'spiral surface of said blade, and a fixed vertical guide wall at the lower end of such break to assist in directing articles out of the Conveyer. y g

In testimony whereof, I have signed'my name to this specification. in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN O. SCHWAB.

VERNA A. l/VA LL.

section means for; deflecting articles from.

downwardly belowtheir normal positions, and interlocking mechanism for preventing. 

